My Kind of Principles

Marti and I spent a long time tonight talking about politics, about who is principled and who isn’t, or if “principled” even really applies to politicians. But one thing is clear: I’m a Democrat because of my principles, and because I believe that more Democrats share those principles than Republicans. It took me a long time to get to this place where I agree with one side rather than the other, but I truly believe that allowing religious interests to seep into our politics will make us little more than a theocracy — no better than any Islamist country that elects its ministers to office. Call them Imams or Preachers or Pastors or right-wing nutjobs — they all stink in politics.

Afterward, though, after talking about all this, I felt really sad.  Sad enough that I could not sleep, and here I am, up at 3 a.m., writing a forbidden post on politics.  But what can I say?  It’s infuriating.  I mean, the media is terrified to criticize the Republican candidates, there is a media blitz about an aging beauty queen who is completely unqualified to sit public office, let alone the White House, and in all this I fear that we will, again, slide backwards with another conservative election.

What matters the sex of the candidate if that candidate does not support women’s rights? I am sick of puppets. Marti admires the Republican party for this strategic move on the chessboard; I just find it sad. As always, women are being lied to and manipulated when their best interests are not at heart. Someone who makes rape victims buy a rape kit in order to be examined — not a women’s advocate. Someone who publicly refused to take maternity leave because she thought it was unnecessary — not a women’s advocate. Someone who touts abstinence-only sex education, then turns around and flaunts her pregnant, teenage daughter to the world — not a women’s advocate.  I might shoot a gun, be able to skin and quarter a deer and know just the right way to cook a sage grouse, but that doesn’t make me qualified to run the country.  Nor does it mean I have conservative values.  Those are just skills — the skills of someone who grew up in the backcountry.  I, at least, can speak multiple languages and am familiar with what, exactly, the job of vice president is.  Perhaps I should apply for public office?

Is that what the glass ceiling is all about?  Realizing that it’s really not that big of a deal, this representation of all the people in the United States?  I mean, why have women held back, if all you need is to cater to men’s opinion, and show your pretty face?

I wait for the day when a female candidate is not another move on the chessboard, but a real political figure, with the education and experience she should have in order to hold the highest office in the land.  Someone who actually cares about women’s issues, even if it means that she might not be as popular.  Someone who is honest and truthful, and makes me proud that another woman is running for a public office.  Maybe it’s just a dream, but didn’t someone say once, I have a dream? We all have one. I’ll keep dreaming mine.

Barack Obama 2008